How does the marketing process works ?
The primary goal of the marketing process is to create and execute a marketing plan, which is a document that sets up objectives and proposes strategies for using marketing elements to achieve the objectives.
The process of creating a marketing plan and managing its execution begins with marketing research. The research process helps marketers make a set of key strategic and tactical decisions that guide deployment of the marketing mix.
The marketingplanning process is out-lined below.
Steps in the Marketing Planning Process
Step 1. Research the consumer market and the competitive marketplace and develop a situation analysis or a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).
Step 2. Set objectives for the marketing effort.
Step 3. Assess consumer needs and wants relative to the product; segment the market into groups that are likely to respond; target specific markets.
Step 4. Differentiate and position the product relative to the competition.
Step 5. Develop the marketing mix strategy: develop strategies for product design and performance criteria, pricing, distribution, and marketing communication.
Step 6. Execute the strategies.
Step 7. Evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.
Marketing Concept
The marketing concept, which turned marketers’ attention toward consumer needs and wants, has nudged marketing closer to a customer-focused philosophy rather than one based on production.
Focus on Consumers the marketing concept says marketing should focus first on identifying the needs and wants of the customer, rather than just the company’s production capabilities.
The marketing concept involves two steps:
(1) Determine through research what the customer needs and wants and
(2) Develop, manufacture, market, and service goods that fill those needs and wants—that is, create solutions for customers’ problems.
The Marketing Process
Ideally, marketers are able to match consumer needs and wants to their products, either those in the current line or prospective products in research and development (R&D).
In business-to-business marketing, the customer may even be involved as a partner in designing a new product or service.
Marketing communication can be designed to acquire consumer feedback that leads to insights into consumer decision making.
This information then feeds back into marketing plans, where it can stimulate new product developments that are better designed to more efficiently and effectively meet customer needs.
In advertising, the difference between a product and a consumer focus lies in the orientation of the ad. Is it addressing a consumer’s benefit or a product’s feature?
Ideally it will do both by interpreting product features in terms of consumer benefits. United Airlines uses a consumer-focused approach for its Escapes vacation planning service and a product focus for its Mileage Plus frequent flyer program, which is shown here.
A note about terminology: We often use the words consumer and customer interchangeably, but there are some differences in meaning.
Consumer is a general term for people who buy and use products and services, which is almost all of us.
It’s similar to the phrase general public. (However, we also make a distinction between consumer and trade products and promotions, which recognizes that businesses and organizations also buy and use products and services, as well as individual consumers.)
The word customer, however, refers to someone who has purchased a specific brand or visited a specific retailer.
Customers have a closer link to a brand or a store because they have taken action by buying or visiting. By virtue of that action, these people can be said to have a relationship with a brand or store.
Differentiation, Competitive Advantage, and Positioning Although customercentric marketing is important, marketing experts also point to the importance of differentiation as a selling strategy.
They recommend strategies that are informed by consumers, but led by fundamental marketing decisions that make the brand stand out as different from its competition, a process known as positioning.
